Classroom Activity for Teaching Social Class Inequality
Understanding social class is central to A level Sociology, yet students often arrive with limited awareness of how class shapes life chances. One of the most effective ways to challenge assumptions and deepen analysis is to use concrete case studies that bring the abstract idea of “class position” to life.
The Stratification Line-Up is a simple but high-impact activity that encourages students to think sociologically about inequality. By presenting five fictional individuals with different backgrounds, lifestyles and opportunities, students explore how class is constructed through a blend of economic, cultural and social factors.
Below is an overview of the activity, why it works, and how to run it in your classroom.
Why Use This Activity?
1. It makes class multi-dimensional
Students often associate class with income alone. This task shows that class also involves cultural tastes, educational experiences, social networks and family background. It helps students move beyond common-sense thinking and towards a more sociologically informed understanding.
2. It encourages debate and evaluative thinking
Because the biographies contain mixed indicators of advantage and disadvantage, there is no single “correct” ranking. This naturally sparks discussion, inviting students to weigh up different forms of capital and justify their reasoning.
3. It mirrors examiner expectations
A level exam questions frequently require students to apply concepts to scenarios and make AO2 judgements. This activity provides practice in interpreting data, forming arguments, evaluating patterns and recognising the contested nature of class boundaries.
4. It suits all learners
The task can be done with the whole class, in small groups, or as a carousel. It requires minimal resources and works well as a starter, revision activity or assessment opportunity.
The Five Biographies
You can present these as printed cards, slides, or short handouts. Each profile includes education, occupation, family background, cultural tastes, social networks and living arrangements.
Amira Khan – Early-Career Professional
First-generation graduate working in marketing; moderate income; upwardly mobile aspirations; wide friendship networks but limited professional connections.
Daniel Cooper – Skilled Trades Specialist
Qualified via apprenticeship; self-employed electrician; stable income that varies year to year; strong local networks; homeowner with young family.
Sophie Mallory – High-Status Professional
Privately educated consultant; high income; influential family background; strong cultural capital; supported by parents; extensive professional networks.
Marcus Riley – Precarious Worker
GCSE-level education; zero-hours employment; low and unstable income; limited social mobility opportunities; shares a flat with his brother.
Helen Fischer – Retired Middle-Income Homeowner
Former teacher; comfortable pension; stable living conditions; strong community involvement; moderate cultural capital.
How to Run the Activity
1. Introduce the task
Explain that students will examine how different forms of advantage and disadvantage contribute to class position. Encourage them to think beyond income.
2. Distribute the biographies
Give each group the five profiles. Ask them to read carefully, focusing on economic, cultural and social indicators.
3. Ranking challenge
Students must place the individuals from most advantaged to least advantaged, using sociological reasoning to justify their decisions.
To strengthen analysis, prompt them to consider:
- levels of education
- job security and income
- cultural tastes and cultural capital
- strength and range of social networks
- family background
- living arrangements
- future prospects and mobility
4. Group justification
Each group prepares a brief explanation for their rankings. Encourage the use of sociological concepts such as social capital, cultural capital, market situation, and life chances.
5. Whole-class plenary
Invite groups to share their rankings. Use questions such as:
- Which characteristics were most influential?
- Did any biographies divide opinion?
- How does this activity show that class boundaries are fluid and contested?
- What does this say about how sociologists measure class?
This discussion helps students reflect on the complexity of class and the limitations of rigid categories.
Why This Activity Sticks
By engaging with real-feeling stories rather than abstract definitions, students gain a more nuanced sense of how inequality works. They also practise the exact skills examiners value—application, analysis and evaluation—without feeling like they’re doing an “exam question.”
If you’d like, I can turn this into downloadable worksheets, create extension tasks, or adapt the biographies to focus on gender, ethnicity or youth subcultures.
Extension Activities: Applying Formal Class Measures
Once students have completed the basic ranking, you can stretch the task with more advanced stratification frameworks used by sociologists. This helps them bridge the gap between classroom activity and formal classification systems.
1. Classify Each Biography Using NS-SEC
Give students a simple NS-SEC table and ask them to assign each person to the appropriate category.
- This encourages students to distinguish between employment relations, autonomy and job security.
- It works particularly well when they realise that income alone doesn’t determine a person’s NS-SEC category.
2. Apply the Goldthorpe & Hope Scale
Introduce the Goldthorpe occupational schema or the Hope score ranking system.
- Students use the occupational information in the biographies to place each individual numerically.
- They can compare whether their original “gut instinct” ranking aligns with these more formal measures.
- This prompts useful discussions about the strengths and weaknesses of occupational classifications.
3. Compare Lay Perceptions vs. Sociological Measures
Ask students to contrast their original ranking (based on holistic judgement) with the results produced by NS-SEC or Goldthorpe & Hope.
- Where do the classifications match?
- Where do they differ?
- What does this show about the challenges of defining class?
4. Create a New Biography to Fit a Specific Class Category
Assign pairs or groups an NS-SEC category or a Goldthorpe & Hope score and challenge them to write an additional fictional biography that fits it.
- This consolidates understanding and builds application skills.
5. Evaluate Each Measure
Finish with a short written task or debate:
“Which class measure is most useful for understanding inequality, and why?”
- This supports AO3 evaluative skills and deepens theoretical understanding.
Final Thoughts
The Stratification Line-Up is an engaging, flexible and theory-rich activity that helps students grasp the complexity of class inequality. By adding extension tasks that use formal sociological measures, you can push students towards more precise, analytical and exam-ready thinking.
You can download the material required to run the lesson below:
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